Irish News

New Zealand Tablet, 1 September 1910, Page 1409

Irish News

ANTRIM—A New Convent On Sunday, July 10, the Most Rev. Dr. Tohill laid the corner stone and blessed the magnificent new convent of the Sisters of the Good, Shepherd, Ballynafeigh, Belfast, in the presence of Mother Mary St. Domittila Larose, Superioress-General of the Good Shepherd Order, Angers, France, and Mother Mary of St. Scholastica (Walsh), Mistress of the Irish Novices, Angers; Mother Mary of the Sacred Heart (O’Mahony), Prioress; Mother Mary of St. Alphonsus (McKay), Assistant, and the twenty-five other members of the community. CLARE —Priest’s Death at Sea The Rev. P. Lyons, of Illinois, U.S.A., died on a passage from New York to Queenstown. The deceased, who was 67 years old, had an . operation performed on him some short time before joining the Arabic, and was going to Ireland on a holiday to recruit his health. He was have been met at Limerick by his nephew, the Rev. . Father O’Dea, of Birr, King’s County, but on the way he became suddenly ill, and died the next day. He was attended by Dr. Hayes, a young medical man of his parish, who happened to be a fellow-traveller. _He was spiritually attended by a young Irish-American priest, Rev. Father Morrissey, of Newhaven, Connecticut, who remained with him to the end. At the request of his friends the remains were em-» balmed and placed in a coffin and landed at Queenstown. The deceased was a native of Kilrnsh, Clare. CORK—Death of a Magistrate Mr. Thomas Wall, K.C., Chief Police Magistrate for Dublin, died on July 9. The deceased magistrate was a native of Cork, and was for many years Clerk of Convocation of the Royal University. His death removes a notable personality. His decisions in the police court were always marked with judicial fairness. The funeral took place at Kill-o’-the-Grange Cemetery, after a Requiem Mass at Monkstown. Death of a Canon Great regret was felt both in Fermoy and in his native parish of Mitchelstown at the intelligence of the death of Very Rev. David Canon O’Brien, Pro-Cathedral, Clifton. The deceased priest had but a comparatively short career in the sacred ministry, being only 48 years of age; yet in that little span, so fruitfully were his labors crowned that it can be truly said he wrought much in a brief time. Thoroughly conversant with the peculiar difficulties besetting the Catholic primary schools in England, Ins advice was eagerly sought by his ecclesiastical superiors, as also by the Irish Parliamentary Party, who now mourn his death and the loss of his services. Canon O’Brien was a brother of Dr. O’Brien, of Mitchelstown. DUBLIN—A Successful Training College Thirteen Carlisle and Blake Premiums have been awarded during the past year to male teachers of Irish National schools. Each of these teachers was selected as the most deserving principal teacher in his circuit. Of the thirteen so selected seven are past students of fet. Patrick s Training College, Drumcoudra. Their names are, Jeremiah Allen, Eugene Doyle, James Fallon, Patrick Golden, Peter Greavy, Denis O’Callaghan, and Joseph Hanlon. Proposed Memorial The people of Clontarf have decided to perpetuate the memory of the late Venerable Archdeacon 0 Neill, for oyer thirty years pastor of the parish, by erecting a much-needed addition to St. John’s Church, in which will be inserted a brass tablet with an inscription commemorative of his long and unsparing work in the sacred ministry. To raise funds for the purpose a public meeting, over which his Grace the Most Rev. Dr. Walsh, Archbishop of Dublin, presided, was held in the parish church on Sunday, July 10. Speeches eulogistic of the deceased priest’s noble and selfdenying character were made by some of the leading parishioners. It was pointed out by Father Hickey, the present pastor, that owing to the princely generosity of the late Air. 0. T. Altingham and other members of the same family, his venerable predecessor was never obliged to call upon the parishioners for funds to effect the many notable improvements made in the church and schools. GALWAY— Agriculture College With the encouragement of his Grace the Archbishop of Tuam, and with the generous, assistance of the Department of Agriculture, the Franciscan Brothers at Mountbellew, County Galway, have been conducting an Agricultural College with conspicuous success (says the Freeman s Journal) & The Brothers hold the highest diplomas in Agriculture and kindred sciences. The area of the college farm is 120 acres, and of this one and a half acres are laid out in fruit plots, and about one acre in students demonstration plots, each student taking charge of one plot, m which he is taught to grow all kinds of garden vegetables Thoroughly equipped laboratories and a model farmyard have been recently built by the Department of Agriculture.

Save for the help given by the latter in carrying out the scheme of instruction, the Franciscan Brothers receive no outside help towards the maintenance of the only Catholic college of its kind in Ireland. But despite the heavy handicap the good work has progressed, to the great advantage of the farming community. KERRY—A Perfectly Peaceable State Addressing the Grand Jury at the opening of the Kerry Assizes, Lord Justice Cherry said he was extremely happy to inform them there were only three —two of larceny and one of indecent assault. The police reports also indicated that the county was in a perfectly peaceable state ‘ as peaceable a county,’ the Inspector stated, ‘ as ever it had been.’ An Unusual Epidemic The local sanitary authority in Kenmare (writes the local correspondent of the Freeman’s Journal) is at present engaged in the work of combating a terrible disease, which has been diagnosed as malignant or black measles, highly contagious in its nature, which has recently broken out in the mountainous district of Templenoe, about ten or twelve miles from the town of Kenmare. The gravest apprehensions have been aroused in the locality by reason of the fact that seven persons have already succumbed, while close on forty fresh cases have been reported by the medical officers of health as suffering from this fell disease. To this malignant outbreak is attributed two deaths in each of three families, while the attack upon the fourth house has carried off the seventh person, all the victims being stalwart young men, ranging in age from 20 to 27 years. Consequently the spread of the disease, which has been attended with such fatal results in a fortnight to several houses in the neighborhood, has produced a feeling of alarm in the and the people have been plunged into a state of terror, tearful of the havoc which the disease has wrought in a comparatively brief period. KILKENNY—A ProminentjCitizen Passes Away Kilkenny has lost a notable citizen in the person of Mr. Edward O’Shea, T.C. Mr. O’Shea was a monumental sculptor of the very highest reputation, and so far back as the Boston Exhibition and the great Dublin Exhibition of the early eighties his exhibits of Celtic crosses were awarded gold medals. Many public and private memorials of distinguished Irishmen bear his name as sculptor, notably the monument over Charles Kickham’s grave at Mullinahone, and that erected in the last few years over the grave of Gavan Duffy in Glasnevin. The late Mr. O’Shea r as a personal friend and devoted follower of the late Mr. Parnell, and in the two contested elections in the city of Kilkenny during the split, he strongly supported the Parnellite, Mr, John O’Connor, who was defeated. He was Mayor of Kilkenny for two years in succession, and it was during his term of office that the late King Edward visited Kilkenny. LIMERICK— the Credit of the Clergy Lord Justice Cherry, who formerly represented the Exchange Division of Liverpool in Parliament, does not agree with those who attribute the diminished consumption of whisky to the Budget. At the Limerick Assizes he paid a high tribute to the Catholic clergy, especially the Redemptorist Fathers, for the splendid work they have achieved in the cause of temperance. The convictions for drunkenness were, he said, 50 per cent, less than previously, and he thought they should all give credit to those who by their ministrations brought such immense benefits upon the city. His lordship’s tribute to the clergymen who conduct the temperance crusade in Limerick is richly merited. There as elsewhere the cause of sobriety is making rapid headway. White Gloves for the Judge At Limerick City Apsizes, Lord Justice Cherry was presented with a pair of white gloves, and congratulated the citizens on their freedom from crime of all sorts. TIPPERARY—Death of a Priest The death of Rev. Richard Phelan, P.P., Clogheen, Cahir, County Tipperary, which took place at the parochial house on July 6, is deeply regretted by his parishioners and numerous friends. WATERFORD—No Criminal Business ■ There being no criminal business at the Waterford City Assizes, Lord Justice Holmes was presented by the City High Sheriff with a pair of white gloves. In the County Waterford, the Lord Chief Justice had only two criminal cases to dispose of. An Ancient Bridge There is an'ancient timber bridge crossing the Suir at Waterford. It is 116 years old, and is beginning to show manifest signs of decay. Lemuel Cox built it in 1793 when he crossed over to Europe from Boston and built some remarkable wooden bridges in Ireland, amongst them one at Londonderry, one at New Ross, and one at Waterford. All were built on exactly the same plan, and each was a replica of the other. The one at Londonderry was long ago replaced by a magnificent steel structure; the one at

New Ross was blown down in a great storm fifty years ago, and was replaced by a bridge of wrought iron. The wiseacres in Waterford say that the bridge at Waterford would also collapse if a really stiff gale blew down upon it from the north. Having bought the old bridge for £63,000 —• a big sum considering the condition of the structure Corporation devised a scheme for saving a little money in the erection of the new bridge. A vice-regal commission that was set up to deal with the question recommended that steel be the material used at a cost of £114,000; and the outside contributing bodies advocated ferro-concrete. The question was taken to the Privy Council, and that body decided in favor of the latter material, but the corporation and its engineers considered ferro-concrete unsuitable, and decline to proceed with the work. GENERAL A Reasonable Arrangement The decision of the Senate of the Irish University with regard to compulsory Irish is quite a sensible and reasonable decision which can inflict no hardship on anybody (says the Glasgow Observer). By 21 votes to 12 Dr. Douglas Hyde carried a proposal, at the meeting of the Senate recently, that from 1913 Irish should be an essential subject for matriculation examinations on the part of Irish-born students. This is a very fair compromise between the proposals that Irish should be made immediately an imperative subject of matriculation, and that it should not be so made for five years to come. The decision will allow Irish students who know no Irish, but who are anxious to enter on their r University studies immediately, to go right on. It would have been a hardship had they been obliged to defer commencing studies until they could qualify in Irish, for facilities for learning it are not within the reach of all intending students of the University. But with three years’ notice there will be no hardship. Students know what will be required from them, and will have plenty of time to prepare. A Motion Defeated By 171 to 67 a motion in the House of Commons on July 7 to reduce Mr. T. W. Russell’s salary as Vice-Presi-dent of the Department of Agriculture was defeated. Mr. Dillon, on behalf of the Irish Party, entered a protest against the Conservative attack on Mr. Russell, whose actions he defended. The Irish Party’s Popularity Practical testimony to the ever-increasing popularity of the Irish Parliamentary . Party and the fact that it enjoys the confidence of Nationalist Ireland is to be found in the amount of the national fund as compared with that of former years. In the first week in July it reached well over £IO,OOO, more than three times what was received up to the corresponding date of last year, and signs are not wanting to show that during the remaining portion of the time which it is to remain open the fund will be largely augmented. That this should be so is not surprising, for though unexpected difficulties in the path of the party's progress have cropped up, it has done well, and has earned the gratitude of the country. The last, but not the least, of the concessions granted to the party’s persistent agitation in the House and outside it is the promised grant of £1,000,000 for laborers’ cottages, which Mr. Birrcll made when replying to Mr. Clancy’s criticism of the Local Government Board. The announcement of this great boon to tho humblest class of the community has been received with intense satisfaction by all classes throughout Ireland, for it will help to bring comfort to many deserving toilers. It is more evident than ever before that, whatever be the Government in power, justice must be conceded to the demand of a united and pledge-bound party, whose one object is to obtain redress for the wrong inflicted on the country. A Diminishing Population During the financial ci'isis in America there was a notable decrease in Irish emigration. Many who should have known better attributed the fact to the anti-emigra-tion agitation, which was in full progress at the time. That they were mistaken is clearly shown by the fact that a return of prosperity in the United States has set the tide of emigration from Ireland going again as strongly as ever. The number who left Ireland during the first six months of this year totalled 18,955, being an increase of 2148 over the number for the corresponding period of last year.